Week 5's challenge: "A challenge you have overcome" How about writing this post? (learn about the Thankful challenge here.)
An overcome challenge never seems as large in hindsight as when you are right in the middle of it. I've been reflecting back on my life and considering different seasons and challenges and many of them I think..is that really worth writing about in my blog? Was it really that big of a hurdle? I mean..when you are five, learning to tie your shoe seems like such a big challenge. At 15, driving a car is scary and overwhelming. The first time you move away from the task of paying bills, furnishing a home, buying your own groceries, it is all quite daunting.
So, I am exceedingly grateful for all the challenges I have overcome in my life and that none of them are quite so vast on the other side. I could keep it simple and tell you how learning to read has changed my life. You know, I overcame that challenge a long time ago and it's influenced my life every day since- guaranteed.
Instead, I'll share about another, more recent challenge that I have over come... One that sticks in my mind is leading outreach teams. When I joined YWAM in 2008 as a staff member I wanted to disciple and assist outreach teams. I had no interest whatsoever in being a primary leader. I dove into every opportunity (except working in the kitchen...now looking back, that's a whole different thing I've overcome! I love to cook now! Yay!) - whether it was onsite student discipleship, office work, cleaning, assisting schools, and more. Within five months of being on staff I was asked to assist an outreach to Mexico- excited and VERY nervous, I said yes. A year later, I said yes again to assisting an Around the World team. I began to be asked to take a team myself- each time I would turn it down, scared to bits at the thought of being in charge of a group of people all myself.
During the summer of 2011 I was in Huntington Beach, CA setting up the Circuit Rider Outreach for over 200 people. Four of us were detailing logistics before the arrival of staff and students from Hawaii and Colorado. It was there that I felt the nudging of the Lord..."You can do this, it's time to lead." You know those times when your palms sweat and your heart is pounding and you are scared but you say yes anyway...it was one of those times.
So, upon returning to the base I stepped forward and said "I'll lead". Oh man, I was SOOO terrified. What was I in for? Would I have good students? Jesus PLEASE prepare the way! After a lot of prayer the locations were picked: London and Romania.
That January as the students were arriving in Denver, I had a dream that I was up on a hillside, on top of old building ruins that overlooked London. I was with my team and some guy named Shawn (means: God is Gracious or Gift from God.) On this hillside I began to sing something simple like "God loves us." I don't remember exactly what it was...in my dream my team joined in with me and then slowly the city joined us. The song became so deafening I actually jolted awake. This happened before I knew who my team would be.
While I was preparing my team, my friend Derek was preparing a team from the Boarders DTS. God IS so gracious- he gave me a friend to lead along side because our teams worked together during the London portion of our outreach. Our teams gelled so well that one time when we asked them to meet separately they got confused!
Toward the end of our time in London we were praying about where to have a time of worship. It was suggested several times that we go up to Crystal Palace Park. Many of our team had been up there but for whatever reason (probably meeting for other ministry prep) I had not been there. As we climbed the steps to the top of the park..I realized where we were...we were standing on ruins of a building that overlooked the city...about to worship and intercede. I nearly cried.
GOD IS SO GRACIOUS!!!! There are just times that you know that you know that you know you are where you need to be.
I am so Thankful I said yes- even in the midst of being afraid.
P.S. I also had AMAZING students.
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